Moving On
by SoulSister
Summary: Sakura's finally left her cheating fiancé and Syaoran's now a single parent. Maybe they'll eventually find solace in each other. Future SS, some ET and others. HIATUS.
1. Goodbye to everything I thought I knew

Moving On

By: SoulSister

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to Clamp, Kodansha and *gags* Nelvana. Jinhua Long, Kenta Yanagi and Xiatian are my own original characters and can't be used without my permission.

Wow, this is the first time I've gotten around to writing a CCS fic in a *long* time. But it's always nice to return to your roots I always say. Or I say that now anyway. Heh, enjoy ^^.

Side note: Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, etc. are 20-21. Older people like Touya, Yukito and such are whatever age goes accordingly.

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Prologue - Goodbye to everything I thought I knew

" So, this is it, huh? You're leaving me " Sakura said, tears coming to her eyes. Her boyfriend and fiancé, or rather ex now, Kenta Yanagi just stood there, making no move to comfort her. 

" I never said that Sakura-chan " he denied." All I said was that I think we might be rushing into this whole marriage thing and I think we should just… slow it down " he finished, giving her a helpless shrug.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Sakura nodded and stood up." So basically what you're saying is you want to cut off our engagement, right? " She asked, her eyes not leaving the ground.

" Nani? Of course not! " Kenta protested, actually sounding shocked." All I said was that I think we should take this one step at a time instead of rushing into things. I still love you Sakura " he told her, reaching out to take her hand.

But Sakura just shook her head and pulled her hand away." Iie Kenta. Don't say it if you don't mean it. That just makes it hurt even more " she replied in a hushed tone, turning to face the window.

" But Sakura, love, you're not listening. I do love you. I'm just not ready to get married to you is all. Onegai, try to understand " Kenta pleaded to her.

Sakura just shook her head again." Believe me Kenta, I am but it's just not working. The way I see it is if you really loved me but knew you weren't ready to marry me; then you wouldn't have asked me in the first place. Then you wouldn't have had to take it back and you wouldn't have had to break my heart. But instead… you did " she concluded, turning to face him for the first time since he broke the news.

Looking at him now, Sakura didn't want it to be the end. This was the man she'd loved for five years of her life. He'd been her high school sweetheart and they were supposed to be married in less than a month now.

But now those dreams were up in flames and five years of her life had been wasted on a relationship she had always known would be doomed in the end.

Sure, from everyone else's point of view, Kenta Yanagi was the perfect mate. He was handsome, he was popular, he was rich and he was also studying to become a brain surgeon. They would've had the perfect life, in the perfect home, with the perfect family had he given it a chance.

But Kenta's one flaw was that he refused to make a commitment. Sure, he'd said that he loved her and maybe he did at one point. But Sakura couldn't count the amount of times anymore that she'd come home to an empty apartment, just to find out later that he'd been out partying with some other girl. And she just couldn't take it any longer.

Sakura sighed. Finally having made up her mind, she reached down to her finger and slowly pulled off the large diamond engagement ring. As Sakura did this, she heard Kenta take in a sharp breath and she winced.

' Gomen nasai Kenta-san ' she thought, as she held out the ring to him." Here, you might as well take this back now. I have no more use for it " Sakura told him, her voice coming out colder then she'd meant it to.

Kenta just looked at her for a minute, his deep blue eyes darkened with pain. He then looked down at the ring and, sighing, he took it. Sakura then immediately drew back her hand and crossed her arms in front of her, her eyes now averted to the floor. 

" Well, you might as well go now. There's nothing more to say, " she said softly." I'll be gone when you get back ".

" Sakura, onegai, I… " Kenta began but Sakura cut him off.

" Iie Kenta, don't. Onegai, don't. Just… just go now " she told him, her tone turning desperate and Kenta knew it was a lost cause. Shaking his head, he turned and headed for the exit. As he opened the door, he took one sad look back at her before he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

It was at that moment that Sakura's strength finally ran out and, dropping to her knees, she at last let the rest of her tears fall.

*Meanwhile* 

__

" Flight 186 from Hong Kong to Tomoeda, Japan is now proceeding to land. Onegai, stay in your seats until the seatbelt sign has been turned off and the aircraft has come to a complete stop. Arigatou for joining us on our flight and on behalf of the captain and the rest of the crew, we hope you enjoy your stay in Tomoeda ".

(A.N.: Now I *know* I've been on too many planes *sweatdrops*.)

As the plane slowly began to descend to the ground, a young man in his early twenties looked down out the window.

' There it is; our new home sweet home ' he thought ruefully.' Hopefully I can learn to live here again. And hopefully, ' he now glanced at the little girl next to him ' she can too '.

Feeling the man's gaze on her, the girl looked towards him and smiled brightly." We's going to haff fun here, wright Daddy? " She asked innocently and he smiled at her.

Reaching over to her, Syaoran ruffled her long brown hair fondly." Of course darling, of course ". 

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So minna, how was that? Good? Bad? Or maybe somewhere in between? Tell me, I wanna know! But if you're going to flame me, try to have something intelligent to say, alright? That's all I ask. 

If I get enough of a response for this, I'll put the next part up. 

Have a happy holiday y'all, ja ne! ^^


	2. I said I couldn't do it but I did it

Moving On

By: SoulSister

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to Clamp, Kodansha and *gags* Nelvana. Jinhua Long, Kenta Yanagi and Xiatian Li are my own original characters and can't be used without my permission.

Well, here it is. The first official chapter to my newest fic, Moving On. Thank you to Jhs Rockerbaby, Ai no Senshi, Jenny, Sakura-Avalon, Kitty Neko and Blue-Star-118 for the encouraging reviews. Enjoy ^^.

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Chapter One - I said I couldn't do it but I did it

*Ding dong*

Tomoyo looked up from the book she was reading on the couch and turned towards the door." Eriol, love, you aren't expecting anyone, are you? "

Looking up from his homework, Eriol shook his head." Iie, it can't be for me " he replied before turning back to his work. 

' Huh. I wonder who could be coming over this late ' Tomoyo wondered, glancing over at the clock hanging from the wall. Sure, it was only nine-thirty but most people would've called if they'd wanted to come over.

Placing the book down on the arm of the couch, Tomoyo stood up and walked over to go answer the door. Upon opening the door, she smiled when she realized who it was and opened the door wider.

" Sakura-chan! What a pleasant surprise! Onegai, come on in " Tomoyo said happily, ushering her friend inside. Sniffling at bit, Sakura nodded and stepped in.

" Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan " she said, forcing herself to smile, though it didn't quite meet her eyes. Upon noticing her friend's expression, Tomoyo's smile instantly turned to a frown and she regarded her friend with a concerned look.

" Daijoubu desu ka, Sakura-chan? You look like you've been crying " she said in wonder and Sakura nodded, blinking back more tears.

" That's because I have been Tomoyo-chan. Kenta-san and I… we broke up tonight " Sakura told her, her voice barely above a whisper. At this, Tomoyo's violet eyes widened and she stared abashed down at Sakura's now bare ring finger.

" Are you serious? Why Sakura-chan? You two seemed so good together, considering ".' Considering he wasn't Li-kun ' she added in her head.

Sniffling a bit more, Sakura shrugged and futilely tried to stop herself from crying." We just… wanted different things I guess " she said, deciding not to mention the fact that it was her who'd officially pulled the plug.

Tomoyo just nodded and smiled sympathetically." I see. Well, is there anything Eriol and I could do for you? All you have to do is ask ".

Sakura smiled back and nodded." Just one thing. I need a place to stay until I get a dorm if you don't mind. I would've gone home but… " she shrugged." You know how that would've ended ". Tomoyo nodded and chuckled, despite the situation.

' Yeah, I do. Yanagi-san would've had one angry father and one even angrier brother out for his blood. Not that that isn't going to happen anyway ' she reminded herself. Fujitaka and Touya would find out eventually. And God knows, Touya above everyone wouldn't be pleased.

As if sensing her friend's thoughts, Sakura grinned, her tears finally stopping." So, do you think I can stay? " she asked.

" Of course! " Tomoyo cried, wrapping her arm tightly around her friend's shoulders." What kind of best friend would I be to turn you away when you're in your ultimate distress time! " she added, dramatically.

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes but she smiled gratefully." Arigatou gozaimasu, Tomoyo-chan. This really means a lot to me " she said, as they walked towards the living room. Upon hearing them come in, Eriol looked up.

" Oh, konban wa, Sakura-chan. What are you doing here? " he asked, mildly surprised.

" Sakura-chan needs a place to stay for a while, while she tries to get a dorm. Yanagi-san and her broke up " Tomoyo explained softly. Eriol's eyes softened with sympathy and he stood up.

" Wow, really? That's terrible. Gomen nasai, Sakura-chan " he said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. Sakura gratefully accepted it and hugged him back.

" Arigatou Eriol-kun. And thank you both for agreeing to let me stay here. You guys are best ".

Eriol released her and shrugged." It's no problem really. Do you have any stuff in your car that you want me to get? " he asked.

" Well, I do have a few suitcases down there. But really, you don't have to " Sakura told him, giving him the keys.

" Don't worry about it Sakura-chan, really " Eriol said, attempting to put her at ease." You girls just sit here and I'll be back up in a few minutes, daijoubu? "

Seeing as the two really did want to help her, Sakura gave in and nodded." Daijoubu Eriol-kun, since you'll probably end up going out anyway " she added with a smile.

" Exactly " he said, before going to put on his shoes and walking out the door. Watching him go, both Sakura and Tomoyo smiled.

" Sometimes he's just too much of a gentleman " Tomoyo said with a giggle. Sakura nodded in agreement.

" Yeah, but you're lucky to have him Tomoyo-chan. There aren't too many men out there like him " she replied bitterly, half referring to Kenta while she said this. 

Tomoyo just shook her head." Don't worry about him Sakura-chan. He'll probably try to kick himself in the ass when he realizes how stupid he was to screw things up with you. You're much better off without him " she declared in attempt to cheer Sakura up.

Sakura just gave her a skeptical look." Do you really think so, Tomoyo-chan? " she asked, not quite believing her.

" Of course I do Sakura-chan! Now come on; let's go make some hot chocolate ".

**********

As far as Syaoran could tell, Tomoeda hadn't changed a bit. He'd spent the entire trip from the airport looking out the window, watching everything with a keen eye. Sure, there was the occasional new shop here and there but other then that, it looked exactly how he'd left it 10 years ago.

His daughter, Xiatian, however hadn't been very interested in looking around and had fallen asleep on his lap almost as soon as they'd started driving.

Looking down at her now, Syaoran smiled at how innocent and peaceful she looked. He also realized that he'd been subconsciously stroking her hair the entire time and chuckled lightly.

Becoming a father had definitely made him soft, especially with children. Despite the fact that his ex-girlfriend had often complained about it, Syaoran couldn't help but spoil Xiatian. He'd wanted to give her everything because as far as he was concerned, she deserved it.

' And she does deserve it. My sweet little tenshi ' he thought, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the forehead. (A.N.: Aww! Doesn't he make a kawaii father? Hehe ^^.) Syaoran then turned his attention back to the window and the two of them stayed like that for the rest of the trip.

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And another chapter now comes to a close. Sorry the Syaoran parts have been so short. The next one will be longer, I promise. Not only that, but in the next chapter I'm planning to reunite him with some of the other characters and then by chapter three, all of them. 

Which means he and Sakura will meet again. Yay! But of course, the romance won't start for quite a while considering everything they've been through. But there will be some, no doubt about that. The next chapter should be up soon if enough people want it. Ja ne! ^^


	3. I still think about you, I still dream a...

Moving On

By: SoulSister

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to Clamp, Kodansha and *gags* Nelvana. Jinhua Long, Kenta Yanagi and Xiatian Li are my own original characters and can't be used without my permission.

Hey everybody, what's up? It's New Year's Eve, less then 24 hours until 2003. Yay! I can't wait. Thank you to JadeGreenGoddess, Ai no Senshi, Kimmy, sailorjamie and yaa for reviewing the first chapter. And now, here is the second chapter. Enjoy minna ^^.

Side note: Italics represent that a person is dreaming/day dreaming.

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Chapter Two - I still think about you/I still dream about you

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" You're leaving me, aren't you ". It wasn't really a question, more of a statement of her impeccable judgement. Seeing there was no point in lying to her now, he nodded.

" Yeah, I suppose I am " he answered her honestly. With her face buried in her hands, the young girl laughed bitterly.

" I always knew you would. You're just like every other weak, miserable man I've ever been with. Never strong enough to stick around " she taunted him, though the tremble in her voice gave away that she was crying.

" Yeah, well, if you did to them what you did to me, then I'm really not surprised! " the young man shot back, his amber eyes blazing. How dare she try to pin any of this on him, when it was all her doing in the first place!

Instead of replying to the comment, the girl just sighed and shook her head." Whatever; I really don't care what you have to say. It's nothing I haven't heard before and will most likely hear again " she told him bitterly.

" So, why don't you just save your breath and leave already? " She asked, nodding in the direction of the door. The young man stared at her for a moment before shaking his head in disgust and started to leave.

Just as he reached for the door, the girl called out to him." Hey, Xiao Lang? " Turning back towards her, Xiao Lang saw that she was looking up at him now and he shot her an irritated look.

" What? " he asked impatiently. At this, she gave him a weak smile.

" Good luck ".

**********

Suddenly, the alarm clock in Syaoran's hotel room went off and he woke up, drenched in a cold sweat. Letting out a shuddering breath, he rolled over and peered sleepily at the clock.

' 6:30 a.m. I'd best get up now ' he thought, rolling over once again to get out of bed. According to his class schedule, Syaoran's first class at the university this morning was at 8:15 and he wanted to be ready early because he still had to take Xiatian to a daycare center. 

Grabbing some clothes and his toiletry bag from his open suitcase, Syaoran made his way out to the living room and walked up next to the pullout couch where Xiatian was sleeping. Smiling down at her sleeping form, Syaoran leaned over and gently nudged at her shoulder.

" Xiatian, it's time to get up now, " he said softly and the young girl groaned. (A.N.: Think of them speaking in Chinese right now).

Slowly, opening up one eye, she stared up at him sleepily and then opened the other." Daddy? " Xiatian asked, still a bit disoriented, as she sat and stretched her arms out.

" Yeah, it's me sweetie. Zaoshang hao (good morning) " Syaoran replied.

" Zaoshang hao " the little girl answered, rubbing her eyes. She then looked around the room curiously and then stared at her father." Daddy? Where ah we? "

Syaoran chuckled.' I guess she forgot our little trip already ' he thought." We're in Japan, sweetheart. We came here yesterday, remember? "

Xiatian stared at him blankly for a minute, before her eyes went wide and it was obvious that she remembered." Oh, yeah. Now I wemember. We came on da pwane, right? " (A.N.: Remember, she's three. So onegai don't mind the spelling errors).

Syaoran nodded." Right. We got here last night but you fell asleep right when we got into the taxi " he told her, smiling. At this, Xiatian blushed but smiled back.

" Oh yeah, dats wright " she said, pushing the covers off of her and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed." So, how come we gots ta get up so earwy? " She asked, her pale blue eyes wide with curiosity.

Looking into them, Syaoran's mind flashed back to the dream and he flinched, hoping Xiatian didn't notice." Well, " he began, praying he sounded normal, " Daddy has to go to some classes this morning and if I'm going to be on time, I have to get you to a daycare center first " Syaoran explained to her, hoping she'd agree to the idea.

To his dismay though, Xiatian's eyes began to fill with small tears. " You mean, I can't go wit you? " She asked pitifully, scared of being without her father. Seeing her cry, Syaoran once again thought about his dream and he shook his head to clear his mind.

" No Xiatian, you can't. Believe me, I asked but the principal said that I'd have to find someone for you to stay with. Duibuqi (I'm sorry) " he told her, helplessly.

But instead of crying, Xiatian just wiped the tears away and gave Syaoran a weak smile." Iss okay, Daddy. I go. It probubwy won't be so bad " she said, trying to sound brave.

At this, Syaoran smiled and lightly ruffled her already messy chestnut hair.' My daughter, the optimist ' he thought proudly." You're right, it won't be. I called the owner up earlier and she sounded very nice. But how about afterwards I take you out for ice cream anyway? "

At the mention of one of her favorite sweets, Xiatian's eyes lit up at once." Ice cream! Reawy? Ooh, xiexie (thank you) Daddy! " She exclaimed, giving her father a tight hug. Syaoran hugged her back, grinning.

" No problem sweetie. No problem ".

**********

' Oh, chikushou! I'm late! ' Syaoran thought, as he dashed through the hallways of Maku Hall. (A.N.: I'll be making up the hall names as I go along).

He still couldn't believe it, but it had taken him twenty minutes to find the daycare center when it was only ten minutes away from the hotel. Somewhere along the short drive, he'd taken a wrong and had almost ended up on the other side of town.

' That's what I get for being a baka and not stopping to ask for directions ' Syaoran thought, as he attempted to find the class he was supposed to be in.

Looking down at his schedule, he read ' Advanced Calculus, room 25 with Ubuki Umi '. (A.N.: I'm sure if that's a real university class or not, so just work with me).' I know where I'm supposed to be, so where is it? '

Frantically, Syaoran rounded another corner, nearly running into another student who also looked late, and let out a sigh of relief as he spotted the number on one of the doors. 

Slowing to a stop in front of it, Syaoran tried to catch his breath. He then ran a nervous hand through his messy chestnut hair before knocking on the closed door. For a moment no one came. Then, he slowly heard footsteps coming from the other side and someone opened the door.

A middle-aged woman with graying black hair and round glasses stared back at him." Do you want something, young man? " She asked, glaring at him impatiently.

' Wow, talk about intimidating ' Syaoran thought, as he nervously cleared his throat." I, uh, I'm… " He began, then shook his head and started again.

" Ohayo gozaimasu, Ubuki-sensei " he said, with a bow." My name is Li Syaoran and I believe I'm taking your class " he finished, with as much dignity as he could muster in his current state.

The teacher raised an eyebrow at him, looking slightly impressed at his sudden composure." So, you're the new student? I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up, you are ten minutes late " she scolded him, causing Syaoran to blush.

" Gomen nasai Ubuki-sensei, I know. I had some last minute errands to run seeing as I just got in last night. But I promise it won't happen again "he said, figuring she didn't need to know the details of why he was so late.

Ubuki-sensei just stared at him for a moment, as if sizing him up, before nodding and offering him a small smile." Well, that's very good to hear. Make sure it doesn't " she said, turning to lead him into the classroom.

As they walked in together, he was slightly happy to see that the class had already been put to work and only a few people were bothering to look at him. This was already embarrassing enough.

" But I must say, I'm surprised that you can speak Japanese so well and that you're also so polite. Most kids your age aren't " the teacher told him, sounding pleased. Once again, Syaoran blushed.

" My okaa-san was always very strict about manners and respecting my elders " he told her truthfully." As for my Japanese, I lived here a while when I was younger ".

Upon reaching her desk, the old woman nodded with approval and then, reaching down, grabbed a ruler and smacked it on the board." Sumimasen, class, if I could have your attention " Ubuki-sensei said loudly, causing everyone to look up.

" I was wondering if there are any empty seats up there for our new student here, " she asked, causing everyone to stare at Syaoran curiously. Not liking all the attention, Syaoran averted his gaze and desperately fought back another blush. (A.N.: The seats are stadium-seating style).

' Get your nerves under control Li! ' He chided himself.' Everyone's watching you '. For a few minutes, no one said anything and just stared. The girls giving him looks of interest and approval, while the guys glared at him suspiciously.

Then, somewhere near the middle, a girl's high-pitched voice called out, " There's a seat over here, Ubuki-sensei! " Looking up to see who had said it, Syaoran spotted a girl with two large brown pigtails waving her arm in the air.

" Well, there you are Li-san. Go take your seat and have your classmates explain what we're working on " Ubuki-sensei said, shooing him off.

Syaoran gave a small sigh and began to make his way to his seat, desperately trying to ignore the staring and the not-so-soft whispering going on around him. After a few moments, he finally reached his seat and sat down, smiling weakly at the bubbly, pigtailed girl sitting next to him.

" Ohayo gozaimasu! Watashi wa Mihara Chiharu. Hajimemashite " the girl said, sticking out her hand. Syaoran's eyes widened slightly in recognition and shook the girl's hand, wondering if she remembered him too.

" Ohayo gozaimasu, Mihara-san. Watashi wa Li Syaoran " he replied politely. Upon saying his name, Chiharu's brown eyes widened in disbelief.

" Oh my gosh, no way! Naoko-chan, he's Li-san! " She said excitedly, turning towards the girl in glasses next to her. Syaoran immediately recognized the spirit-loving girl from his youth and smiled at her.

" Ohayo Yanagisawa-san. It's nice to see you both again ". Naoko nodded and smiled.

" Nice to see you too Li-san " she replied, looking him over." Wow, you've changed a lot ".

" I agree! " Chiharu chimed in." You look really hot now. But don't tell Yamazaki-kun I said that or he'll get jealous ". Blushing once again, Syaoran nodded.

" Umm, yeah, sure " he said, feeling flustered." So, Yamazaki-san goes here too? " He asked, trying to change the subject.

" Yup, the gang's all here, " Naoko said." Except Rika-chan, she moved away last year. But Yamazaki, Eriol, Tomoyo, Sakura and us two are all here ".

Upon hearing the names of his old friends, Syaoran smile grew slightly wider." Really? That's great. Will I be able to see them? " He asked, laughing inwardly at the surprise they were showing at seeing him smiling.

" Oh yeah, of course! " Chiharu said, being the first to recover." We're meeting them for lunch later. You should come with us ". Syaoran thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

" Sure, why not? It's sound like fun ".

(A.N.: Yeah, I know it's a bit odd that they all got the same lunch period but I don't to have to keep re-introducing him so just work with me on this, 'k?)

**********

It wasn't until 1:15 that they all finally finished their classes for lunch. Luckily, Syaoran and Naoko had had that class together, so they both went off together to find Chiharu.

She was currently standing in front of her philosophy class waiting for them and she grinned as they walked up to her.

" Great, you're here! Now we can go and take you to show minna-san " she exclaimed happily, dragging Syaoran off by the hand while Naoko just laughed, hurrying to catch up with them.

" Yeah, right " he mumbled, feeling embarrassed as people starting giving them weird and also jealous stares as Chiharu pulled him towards the entrance to the quad.

Upon getting outside, Chiharu stopped to look around for a moment before the group she was looking for and began hastily walking towards them with Syaoran and Naoko trailing along behind her. 

As they neared the group, Syaoran began to recognize the different looking but familiar people and tried to make himself relax.' These people are your friends Li. Relax, just relax ' he thought, as they stopped in front of them.

Upon their arrival, everyone looked up and the guy who was obviously Eriol gave Chiharu an amused look." Found yourself another boyfriend Chiharu-san? " He asked, earning himself a playful punch in the arm from Yamazaki.

" Despite the temptation, " she began teasingly, " actually, no. But this is way better ".

The violet hair girl, Tomoyo, raised an eyebrow at her." Who is he then Chiharu-chan? " She asked, gazing at Syaoran with the others curiously. They clearly hadn't recognized him yet.

Chiharu grinned at them." Minna-san, I'd like to re-introduce Li Syaoran! " She said dramatically." Say hi Li-san ".

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Whew! That was my longest chapter yet. Good thing I'm done, it's getting a little chilly down here. But see! I told you they'd all meet up again. And it happened on time too *claps hands together happily*.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this one. I'll probably have the next part up on my birthday, which is in 3 days! Yay! Until then, ja ne ^^.


	4. You'll find the strength that will guide...

Moving On

By: SoulSister

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to Clamp, Kodansha and *gags* Nelvana. Jinhua Long, Kenta Yanagi and Xiatian Li are my own original characters and can't be used without my permission.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this earlier. All the names of my titles have come from song lyrics and they obviously don't belong to me. So far, they belong to (in used order):

P. Michelle Branch: Goodbye to You

1. Jennifer Lopez: I'm Gonna Be Alright

2. Brian McKnight: Still

3. Christina Aguilera: The Voice Within

Yay! It's my birthday!!! *Does a happy dance* I won't tell you how old I am (can't be too careful) but lets just say it feels good to be a year older ^^;

Once again, thank you to the kind reviewers. It's your support that keeps me going and wanting to do more. I hope you like this chapter ^^.

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Chapter Three - You'll find the strength that will guide your way

*Last chapter*

Upon their arrival, everyone looked up and the guy who was obviously Eriol gave Chiharu an amused look." Found yourself another boyfriend Chiharu-san? " He asked, earning himself a playful punch in the arm from Yamazaki.

" Despite the temptation, " she began teasingly, " actually, no. But this is way better ".

The violet hair girl, Tomoyo, raised an eyebrow at her." Who is he then Chiharu-chan? " She asked, gazing at Syaoran with the others curiously. They clearly hadn't recognized him yet.

Chiharu grinned at them." Minna-san, I'd like to re-introduce Li Syaoran! " She said dramatically." Say hi Li-san ".

**********

" Umm… hi? " Syaoran said, turning a light pink.' Could this situation be anymore awkward? ' he wondered, waiting for the others to respond.

For a moment, everyone from the group was shocked into silence. Then suddenly Tomoyo let out a squeal of joy and leapt up, grabbing Syaoran into a tight hug." Omigod, Li-kun! It's so good to see you again! " She exclaimed happily.

Syaoran let out a gasp of surprise as Tomoyo unexpectedly glomped him and nearly fell over backwards, causing the others to chuckle lightly." Daidouji, onegai… can't breathe! "

Tomoyo, suddenly realizing how tight she was holding him, blushed and quickly released him." Gomen nasai, I didn't realize. Daijoubu desu ka? " She asked, while Syaoran tried to get his breath back.

" Sure, I'm fine " he replied after a few moments, smiling weakly." No harm done ".

" Well that's good " Yamazaki remarked, grinning." It looked like she'd nearly killed you. Good to have you back Li " he added, clapping Syaoran on the shoulder.

" It's nice to be back " Syaoran replied honestly. He then turned towards the other two at Yamazaki and Tomoyo's side." Konnichi wa Sakura-san, Hiiragizawa " he said with a stiff politeness towards Eriol. Though he wasn't going to go out of his to be nasty towards the blue hair man any longer (he'd noticed the engagement rings), Syaoran still didn't like him yet.

But as usual, Eriol just smiled politely and said, " Welcome back to Japan, little wolf ". This of which, Syaoran just nodded to.

' At least he's stopped referring to me as his "cute little descendant" now ' he thought, remembering the hated nickname from times past.

Then, suddenly, Syaoran realized that Sakura still hadn't replied to him and he looked towards her warily. Taking in her shocked expression, it was obvious seeing him here overwhelmed her.

' But considering the circumstances, I'm not really surprised ' Syaoran thought, sighing in mind.

*Flashback*

It was the first day of summer for children in Japan and it was also the day Syaoran was leaving for home. His mother had called him only two days beforehand and had announced that he was to be going back.

__

" Go back?! But mother, I can't go back now! I have too many friends here ".

" I'm sorry Xiao Lang but this is the way things have to be. The elders want you back here so you can start your training to become to the clan leader and I dare not disobey them. And you won't either, young man ".

" But mother! "

" But nothing Xiao Lang! I expect you to be on that plane, 11 a.m. sharp! And if you're not, I don't think you want to face the consequences ".

She hung up on him after that. Something which his mother rarely did and Syaoran knew she meant business. It was either come home now or be disowned later. And despite the fact that Syaoran desperately wanted to stay in Japan, he couldn't dishonor his family like that.

So two days later, Syaoran arrived at the airport an hour early. He got his ticket, checked in his bags and an hour later, Syaoran was back on his way to Hong Kong without having said a word to anyone about his departure.

*End of flashback*

Syaoran knew his up and leaving without saying goodbye would hurt a lot of people, especially Sakura. But if he'd stayed around any longer, his will to leave would've been lost and he probably would've ended up staying here.

' But does she understand that? ' he wondered, desperately searching her eyes for the answer. The shocked expression Sakura had been wearing had now been replaced with a cold, detached stare.

She regarded Syaoran for a moment with a weary glance, then gave him a smile which he could tell was forced and said, " Konnichi wa Li-san ".

The "Li-san" was like a punch in the stomach to Syaoran and he wince slightly, but only enough for Sakura, Tomoyo and Eriol to see. He didn't want the others to know how hurt he was by Sakura's reaction to him. Even though he did deserve it, and they all knew that.

After a few moments of an awkward silence, Sakura looked down towards her watch and frowned." Oops, I lost track of time. If I don't leave now I'll be late for my last class. Ja ne minna ". She then grabbed her backpack, pushed her way past Syaoran and Chiharu and was gone.

Watching her go, Syaoran's heart gave an involuntary drop. Even though he wasn't in love with Sakura anymore, it still hurt to see how mad she was with him. (A.N.: Have no fear S+S fans! That won't last long).

Upon seeing his expression, Tomoyo felt a flash of sympathy." Don't worry Li-kun, it's not your fault. Sakura-chan's just having a rough time right now " she told him, not wanting to tell him about Sakura's ex just yet.

Syaoran just shook his head and shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. " Oh, don't worry about it. It's fine " he replied, trying to convince both them and himself.

Obviously seeing the subject needed to be changed, Yamazaki spoke up." So, Li, what classes do you have? " Realizing what he was trying to do, Tomoyo and Chiharu both gave Yamazaki a small smile. ' Thank God he's a talker ' Tomoyo thought.

**********

As Sakura swiftly made her way across the quad, she hopelessly trying to stop the frantic beating of her heart. This day was *definitely* not turning out the way she wanted it too.

Not only had she slept in really late this morning, but she was also late to one of her more important classes and had also ran into Kenta along the way, which definitely hadn't been pleasant.

' And now, just to make things even better for me, Li has to show up! ' she thought sarcastically.' Someone up there must *really* hate me '.

But as soon as the anger and frustration had come, it was now replaced by sadness and Sakura sighed heavily.' Why did he have to come back now? Of all the times, why did it have to be right after Yanagi-san and I split up? Is this some kind of cosmic joke? ' she wondered.

Finally having reached her destination, the girl's washroom, Sakura walked into one of the stalls and plopped down onto the closed seat. Burying her face in her hands, she let out the breath she was holding and slowly began to tremble.

Behind her eyelids, tears began to well up and Sakura sniffled.' Shimatta, not again! Why do I keep breaking down like this? ' It seemed she couldn't go a few minutes without wanting to cry anymore.

Especially when she was wasting them on guys like Kenta and Syaoran.' They don't deserve your love and they don't deserve your tears. So buck up and get with it Sakura! ' she ordered herself.

Lifting her face out of her hands, Sakura slowly stood up and made her way over to one of the mirrors. Examining her face for damage, she gave a smile and was glad that she'd chosen a run-proof mascara that actually worked. Hopefully it would last to the end of the day.

After checking over her hair and straightening her clothes, Sakura stood up back and gave herself a hard stare.' Come on Sakura, now isn't the time to be weak. Be strong Sakura, be strong '.

Now repeating those words in her head, Sakura exited the bathroom and headed towards her last class, praying that the mantra would work. 

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Wow. This one actually turned out to be fairly short; of which I'm surprised. I expected it to be longer but, oh well. Less to edit this way. 

The next chapter for this fic may not be up for a while though. I had all these past chapters written up during the summer and they were just floating around until now. But if you have patience with me, I'll try my best to get it up within good time. 

Also, I'm trying to start up a new contact list for anyone who wants to be notified when I update my CCS fics. So anyone who wants to be on it, just tell me in your review and leave your email if you're not a registered author. Thanks and ja ne ^^.


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